Bourbon, Whisky and Scotch

[Loebarth]

lol.. you expecting Armageddon? Hell, by now you have enough stock piled to actually use it to barter with when the world collapses and all any of us want is to get drunk and pass out. 

[Calvin]

1 hour ago, Loebarth said:

lol.. you expecting Armageddon? Hell, by now you have enough stock piled to actually use it to barter with when the world collapses and all any of us want is to get drunk and pass out. 

 

Haha!  When things open up I want to be able to offer a variety to guests.  Er, if you like bourbon.  If you want something else, probably have to bring your own.    

 

Also, I just like to have the variety for myself as well.  I don't drink heavily, just little bits here and there, so I like to nitpick what to sip on next.  Got a decent collection to choose from.  I have a friend that has an entire room devoted to bourbon and wine.  It's incredible.  20 foot ceilings or some of the rarest bourbons and wines.  Very jealous, but lucky for me, he's a generous dude.  

[Fru]

Since Quarantine began, I've started drinking whiskey a few nights a week. I've never been a big liquor guy so I didn't really know where to start, so I've been sticking with Jameson and Slane. 

[Xmas32]

Michter's 10 Single Barrel Review for the crew especially @Calvin, my apologies again for the delay.

 

Just used a regular rocks glass as I haven't quite sprung for any Glencarin glasses yet.  I poured and let it sit for 10 minutes neat to see if it would open up.  My first crack at a review didn't go too well because I ended up getting absolutely hammered.  I'll probably do one more glass tonight with a single ice cube to see how that changes the complexity.  Drinking it neat straight out of the bottle was pretty harsh if I remember correctly.

 

Nose is a mix of caramel, some charred oak, little bit of citrus peel and baking spices.

 

Initially it's really subtle and then it opens up really nicely.  Lingering oak spice on the tail end, definitely some dark cherry, citrus peel.  Very little alcohol burn on the back end which is nice for a 94 proof.

 

Finish-Similar as above, caramel, almost a little cinnamony? a little bit of chocolate and tobacco and some earthy spice on the end.

 

Bottom line is it worth the $250+ you'll have to spend?  This is hard for me, I absolutely love Michter's (especially their rye).  I bought this in a 4 pack as a special treat for myself.  I'm personally a little more partial to ryes but this stuff is absolutely phenomenal.  It officially retails at $150 but obviously good luck if you can find it at that.  I'd be a buyer at $250 or lower, anything higher than that seems like overkill.  Definitely a special occasion bourbon for me although I'd love to live in a world where I could afford to make it my regular drinker!

 

My next one to try and track down without going broke is some Weller 12.  As much as I love Pappy I equally hate it because it help blow up the bourbon market and now a decent bottle is impossible to find without getting price gouged to kingdom come.

[Calvin]

Great review X!  I'll keep an eye out for their single barrel.  

 

I have a friend who has the Weller 12 and it is very good.  I have a bottle of the Special Reserve and, while good, does not hold a candle to the 12.  I enjoy the wheated bourbons though.  

 

Tried the Hudson Baby Bourbon the other day.  Very interesting.  Bananas and oak on the nose, very oaky on the palate and cinnamon on the finish.  Very unique.  

 

I finally found Henry McKennan bottles.  They were on sale for $45 each, but the shelves were always empty.  

[Redux]

So in the last 9 months or so I've become quite the whiskey snob.  The best bottle I have on my shelf now is this bad boy:

 

This is a love it or hate it bottle.  Some consider it far too weak for the price and not complex enough.  For me, this is some of the finest stuff I've ever had.  Smooth, sweet, fruity, no burn what so ever, spices in the right place.  If you're looking to drop some cash on a nice bottle I recommend it if you like Fiddich.  The best bang for your buck is still hands down the 15yr though.  The 18 is excellent as well.  And Bourbon lovers should pick up the 14yr.  The 12yr is pretty basic but affordable, not one I'd go out of my way for.  Glenfiddich has quickly become one of my favorites.

[Calvin]

I see a lot of love for Glenfiddich among scotch drinkers.  Glenlivet and Macallan the others.  Close friend of mine is a scotch guy, always has Glenlivet 12 on hand.  I gifted him a bottle of Macallan 12 for his birthday.  Turns out it's his favorite, so that worked out pretty well.  

 

I don't keep a lot of scotch on hand.  I have some Chivas Regal 12 and a Glenmorangie 10.  Nothing fancy, but if I have a scotch drinker over, it's good enough.  

[Redux]

Scotch varies quite a bit, it's good to explore different brands.  Highland vs Speyside.  Non Peaty vs Peat.

 

The Macallan 15 is what I have on my shelf right now, worth every cent.  I highly recommend trying the Dalmore 12 as well, that's an exquisite brand.

[BigRedBuster]

13 minutes ago, Redux said:

Scotch varies quite a bit, it's good to explore different brands. 

I've never drank a type of whiskey that varies more than Scotch.  There is some really bad rot gut crap that tastes like turpentine and then there is some really good stuff.

 

My problem has always been that I had never tasted anything but the turpentine.

[Redux]

1 hour ago, BigRedBuster said:

I've never drank a type of whiskey that varies more than Scotch.  There is some really bad rot gut crap that tastes like turpentine and then there is some really good stuff.

 

My problem has always been that I had never tasted anything but the turpentine.

 

I've found that the turpentiney stuff usually comes from the Highland side and gets bottled in the dark smokey green bottles.  If you like sweet/fruity/honey pick up clear bottles.

[BigRedBuster]

1 hour ago, Redux said:

 

I've found that the turpentiney stuff usually comes from the Highland side and gets bottled in the dark smokey green bottles.  If you like sweet/fruity/honey pick up clear bottles.

Johnny Walker is absolutely the worst of the worst.  Don't know where that's made.  But....

[Enhance]

I think my general preference is Macallan, though when I used to drink more often, I would usually keep Auchentoshan in the house as my go-to.

 

My dad is a big Glenfidditch fan, though I've never quite grown a preference for it.

 

One of the worst Scotch's I've ever had is Dewars. My current home had been vacant for about six months before I moved into it and I remember the former homeowners left 2-3 bottles on the fireplace mantel. Fortunately, I already knew what the stuff tasted like, so it was dumped and recycled the day we moved in.

[Redux]

41 minutes ago, BigRedBuster said:

Johnny Walker is absolutely the worst of the worst.  Don't know where that's made.  But....

 

JW Green Label is actually wonderful, the rest are kinda meh.

 

5 minutes ago, Enhance said:

I think my general preference is Macallan

 

If you haven't gotten the 15yr it's absolutely worth it

[Enhance]

4 minutes ago, Redux said:

If you haven't gotten the 15yr it's absolutely worth it

That's a pretty good idea actually. Over the last year or so, I've cut my alcohol intake to an average of two drinks per week at most (save for vacations or special events) so it would be nice to have something expensive lying around that I know I would be able to enjoy for a long time.

[Redux]

If you want quality for price, the 15yr age statement is very affordable but typically some of the best tasting scotch.  The Dalmore 15, probably around the same as the Macallan 15 in terms of price.  Definitely another good option.